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Thackeray Brothers Reunite After 20 Years for High-Stakes BMC Polls

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant hailed the political alliance between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray as a historic and fortunate development for the BMC elections. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting the polls in alliance with Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, marking their reunion after two decades. Voting is underway across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, with a moderate turnout reported by the afternoon. The main political battle focuses on Mumbai and Pune, where the BJP-led coalition faces the united Thackeray faction for control of the country's richest civic body.

Key Points: Thackeray Brothers Alliance in BMC Elections Hailed as Lucky

  • Thackeray cousins reunite after 20 years
  • Shiv Sena UBT allies with MNS for BMC
  • Voter turnout reported at 29.22% by 1:30 PM
  • BJP-led alliance faces united Thackeray camp
2 min read

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant hails Thackeray brothers alliance in BMC elections

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant calls the Uddhav and Raj Thackeray alliance a "stroke of luck" as Mumbai votes in crucial BMC elections.

"The greatest stroke of luck today is that for the first time, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have come together - Arvind Sawant"

Mumbai, January 15

As Mumbai goes to the polls for the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant on Thursday spoke on the alliance of the Thackarey brothers in this election, hailing it as a "stroke of luck".

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, Sawant expressed immense joy over the political reunion of cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray.

"I am very happy. The greatest stroke of luck today is that for the first time, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have come together", he said, highlighting the impact of their reunion after 20 years.

He underscored the importance of voting for the people and encouraged them to exercise their right. "Every voter must exercise their right to vote," he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in alliance with Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Voting for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra is currently underway. By 1:30 pm, voter turnout stood at 29.22% across these 29 corporations.

Meanwhile, a sluggish voting trend was observed across 29 municipalities in Maharashtra, with only 17.41% voter turnout by 11:30 am, according to the State Election Commission.

Polling for BMC and 28 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra commenced on Thursday morning at 7.30 am, and will continue till 5.30 pm, with vote counting scheduled to begin on Friday, January 16.

The main political battle remains centred on Mumbai and Pune, where the BJP-led Mahayuti will face the united Thackeray camp, as just ahead of the Civic poll, both parties' Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray joined hands on the issue of Marathi Manus in a high-stakes fight for control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the country's richest civic body. The last BMC elections were held in 2017.

According to the State Election Commission, a total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots to decide the fate of 15,908 candidates contesting 2,869 seats across 893 wards in 29 municipal corporations. A total of 39092 Polling centre has been set up across the state.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting development, but the low voter turnout is worrying. A "stroke of luck" for politicians doesn't mean much if citizens don't show up. Everyone should vote, regardless of which party they support.
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Vikram M
After 20 years of rivalry, this is a historic moment for Maharashtra politics. But let's be real – this is purely an electoral calculation. Will they stay united after the results? The real test will be in delivering on pothole-free roads and better water supply.
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Priya S
As a Mumbaikar, I just want a corporation that works. The alliance drama is for the news channels. Please focus on cleaning the Mithi river, managing waste, and fixing the monsoon flooding. That's the real "stroke of luck" we need.
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Rohit P
United Thackeray camp vs BJP's Mahayuti... Mumbai is in for a political spectacle. Hope the competition leads to better promises and actual work on the ground. The low voter turnout by afternoon is shameful though. Come on, people!
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Karthik V
Respectfully, I have to disagree with Sawant ji calling this a stroke of luck. It's a pragmatic political move, nothing more. The real luck will be if this alliance actually improves Mumbai's crumbling infrastructure. Let's judge by actions, not speeches.
M
Michael C

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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